Newcastle-Gateshead
Newcastle and Gateshead face each other across the Tyne and share one football culture, from St James' Park to the Saturday matches in the pubs. The 2027 Newcastle-Gateshead tournament sets its three 5-a-side grounds at Gosforth to the north, Wallsend to the east and Gateshead to the south. Each ground crowns a Pitch Champion, and the winners play the United Kingdom championship on 28 to 30 May.
Three grounds, three champions
Two halves of 15 minutes on a stop clock. Every team plays three group matches in a group of four, and the top two go into the playoffs, where a tie level after two halves goes to penalties. Five weeks of football on each ground leave Newcastle-Gateshead with three Pitch Champions, and each goes straight to the Country Championship.
Gosforth/North
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
Wallsend/East
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
Gateshead/South
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
Checking live availability...
Both banks of the Tyne
Small-sided football on Tyneside is played on both banks of the river and in every direction from it: teams from Jesmond, Heaton and Byker, from Whickham and Felling, from North Shields and Benwell, booking floodlit artificial pitches for an hour after work. The game suits a region where football is the standard conversation at work on Monday morning.
A squad can hold up to nine, and one person is named Team President on the entry. Amateur status is required. A side assembled just for MCC is as welcome as a long-running one, with no league membership or club badge needed.
Gosforth, Wallsend and Gateshead grounds
Gosforth/North takes in Gosforth, Kenton, Killingworth, Cramlington and Ponteland, with the A1 and the Metro to the airport as the main links. Wallsend/East serves Wallsend, Walker, Byker, North Shields and Tynemouth, on the Metro's coast line. Gateshead/South covers Gateshead, Felling, Whickham, Low Fell and Birtley, near the A1 and the Team Valley.
Ground size runs from 64 to 128 teams, each with a complete round, so travel time decides which ground a team enters. Pitch owners are being signed up at one venue per ground, and the cards above show where each stands; a name appears here once the agreement is complete.
April and May on Tyneside, then the country final
April and May on Tyneside can be crisp and breezy, with a cold wind off the North Sea on the wrong evening. Three weekends of group matches begin on 9 April 2027, the playoffs start on 30 April, and each ground's final is on 9 May.
The three Pitch Champions from Newcastle-Gateshead then join the Country Championship against winners from Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester and London. A continental stage comes after it, and the World Final is on 7 July 2027, so a Tyneside side could still be playing in summer.
What sets this apart from a charity day
Charity days and company cups are common across the region and tend to finish by the evening. MCC has a Pitch Round from 9 April to 9 May, publishes its format, pays $20,000 to each Pitch Champion and sends winners on toward a World Final. Every squad is under a zero-tolerance conduct policy from the first whistle.
The road out of Newcastle-Gateshead
- 01 · 9 Apr - 9 May 2027
Pitch Round
Groups of four on every pitch, three group matches each. The top two of every group go into the playoffs, and penalties settle a level playoff tie.
$20,000 - 02 · 28-30 May 2027
Country Championship
The Pitch Champions of each country play for the national title: two halves of 15 minutes, a league table, then the playoffs.
$150,000 - 03 · 2027
Continental Championship
Country Champions compete within their region for a place on the world stage.
$500,000 - 04 · 7 Jul 2027
World Championship
A five-team mini-league, then the World Final: two halves of 15 minutes, penalties if level. One MCC World Champion.
$5,000,000
Questions from Newcastle-Gateshead
How does a team enter MCC in Newcastle-Gateshead?
Register on this site and pick one of Newcastle-Gateshead's three grounds: Gosforth/North, Wallsend/East, Gateshead/South. One Team License per team: USD 1,200 for one year until 1 March 2027 (then 2,500), or 5,000 for three years. Payment and KYC verification follow the application.
When does the tournament start in Newcastle-Gateshead?
The Pitch Round runs 9 April to 9 May 2027 on all three Newcastle-Gateshead grounds. The group matches are played on 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25 April, the playoffs from 30 April, and each ground's final on 9 May. Pitch Champions go straight to the Country Championship on 28-30 May 2027.
How many teams can play in Newcastle-Gateshead?
Up to 384: each of the three grounds takes up to 128 teams, and each needs a minimum of 64 to run its round. A full ground puts an entry on its waitlist instead of turning it away.
What can a Newcastle-Gateshead team win?
$20,000 per Pitch Champion, $150,000 for the United Kingdom title, $500,000 continental and $5,000,000 for the World Champion - plus championship rings from Country level up.
Do Sunderland or Durham teams enter at Newcastle-Gateshead?
The grounds are drawn by area. Sunderland teams tend to look at Wallsend/East or Gateshead/South, and Durham teams at Gateshead/South, as the nearest. Journey time on fixture weekends is the practical test.
Which ground is best for a team from the Metro line?
That depends on the line. The coast line runs past Wallsend and Whitley Bay, the airport line past Gosforth and Kenton, and the south branch into Gateshead, so each ground has a Metro stop nearby.
Why is the ground named for Newcastle-Gateshead and not a single city?
The two towns sit on opposite banks of one river and share a travel and football area. The three grounds are named for places across both, so Gateshead teams do not travel over the Tyne to take part.
Can a team of lads who play after work enter?
Yes. Any amateur team can enter with a squad of up to nine and a Team President. Work teams, pub sides and friends playing together are all eligible, and a zero-tolerance conduct policy applies to every team.
Also hosting in United Kingdom
Nearby in Europe
Claim a pitch in Newcastle-Gateshead
One Team License per team, for one year or three years. Squads of up to 9 are built in the MCC app after licensing. Registration takes the team, its coach and its Team President.
- USD1,200One year
- 5,000Three years